Using Concept Mapping to Teach Young EFL Learners …

1 2016 ENGLISH TEACHING TEO, YUN F. SHAW, JIMMY CHEN, AND DEREK WANGT aiwanUsing Concept Mapping to Teach Young EFL Learners reading SkillsMany English as a foreign language (EFL) students fail to be effective readers because they lack knowledge of vocabulary and appropriate reading strategies. We believe that teaching proper reading strategies can help second-language Learners overcome their reading problems, especially when the instruction begins in elementary school. Effective reading strategies provide the means to tackle complex problems in more efficient ways and allow students to build a path to comprehension (McNamara 2009, 34).

2 One effective strategy is Concept Mapping , which is the use of visual tools to help readers understand material by transferring the written content into concrete images (Liu, Chen, and Chang 2010, 442). Through Concept - Mapping activities, Learners connect previously learned and newly learned ideas onto a visual representation, or map. Research shows that Concept maps have positive effects on children s language skills; for example, Liu et al. (2011) describe how Concept Mapping prompts Learners to reflect to construct meaning based on their observations and knowledge, thereby helping students develop and apply the knowledge about storytelling (873).

3 In this article, we describe two reading lessons that use Concept Mapping to produce beneficial effects for elementary school students. BACKGROUNDC oncept Mapping is related to the pedagogical theory of constructivism, which asserts that productive learning occurs when students create meaning on their own by connecting previous knowledge and experience with newly formed knowledge and experience. According to Kalhor and Shakibaei (2012), Concept Mapping (1) helps students understand the framework of the subject being taught; (2) clarifies the relationships and connections among all instructional content; (3) reinforces knowledge retention; and (4) enhances an instructor s teaching objectives.

4 Anderson (1991) stresses the importance of describing reading strategies for students ( , visualization and applying background knowledge and experience) and of showing Learners how to use them. Therefore, when it comes to teaching EFL reading , it is crucial for a teacher to act as facilitator to help Learners construct their own meaning as they apply their current knowledge to new ideas. TWO Concept - Mapping LESSONSThe following two lessons are geared toward EFL elementary school children with basic 2016 ENGLISH TEACHING language proficiency at least two years of experience in learning English.

5 We paired up students in advance, and each student remained with the same partner throughout both lessons. Teachers who would like to adapt our lesson plans can make adjustments to suit the level and makeup of their classes. Concept - Mapping Lesson OneThe objective of this lesson is to Teach students to organize their ideas by drawing their own Concept maps based on a story they are already familiar with. To this end, we chose a picture book called Frozen (Scollon 2013) because the story is popular and the plot is easy for elementary school students to understand.

6 For this lesson, teachers will need the picture book and a copy of the movie. For teachers and students who do not have access to the picture book and movie, a video book is available at Teachers will also need copies of the pre-made Concept map chart (see the Appendix), a pencil and an eraser for each student, and two pieces of paper and a set of colored pencils for each student Show the movie Frozen, which is dubbed in the students first language and contains English subtitles. (An option is to show the original movie in English, with subtitles in the students first language.)

7 We strongly suggest that teachers allow students to watch the movie a few times and follow with a discussion until students are familiar with the story . Continue the lesson by showing the picture book of Frozen to the students and then ask individual students to narrate the story following the actual sequential order of the events. 2. Introduce the idea of the Concept map by showing the students the pre-made Concept map in the Appendix. Include the four major story -element categories: (1) characters, (2) settings, (3) events, and (4) time order.

8 Explain the meaning of each category so that the students understand what to fill in. Facilitate as the students fill in the significant elements that relate to the story . 3. Have students work in pairs to draw their own Concept maps; encourage them to be creative. For example, instead of drawing a traditional Concept map as in the example, students can draw a character of their own choice from the story to be used as the topic frame. Many students in our class chose Olaf, the talking snowman in the story , as he is most students favorite character.

9 For example, one student drew four Olafs with four different poses, and the students recorded their ideas on the Olaf heads and bodies. The heads consisted of four major categories, and the bodies were filled in with the related details. This activity promotes creativity and learner autonomy because students design Concept maps according to their own Have the students rewrite their own versions of the story on their Concept maps, adding any characters or events they create themselves. Students employ creativity when they produce a version of a story written by others; they are excited about writing their own versions, as it gives them a sense of ownership.

10 Next, the students color the Concept maps and the characters they drew. While the students create their own stories, emphasize that all the events must be recorded in proper time order; ensure that the chronological order of the events arranged by the students reflects logical progression rather than random ordering. 5. This step serves as an assessment stage. Collect and record the ideas from Step 4 and invite students to share their opinions with the class about how they organized the events in the stories. If the students events do not represent proper time sequence, show them how to connect their ideas by recording the events step-by-step on the Concept maps they created on their own in Step 4.